re: Everyone will be running the spread within 7 years

That's because the Spread is an offensive philosophy not a formation. It's a wholesale evolution of the offensive game, which is why offenses are putting up insane numbers in college and the NFL now.

You're right that it's used incorrectly all the time because people think it's like the Wishbone and such. It's not, it's an offensive system designed to create mismatches and create space while minimizing the pass rush. That's why it works so well.

Saban knows this and doesn't like it, but he's from the Belichick coaching tree and will do what he has to as the game changes. Like Belichick, he will exclusively run the Spread if that's what he has to do even though he is defensive minded because great coaches adapt and change. There is no reason why you can't have an overpowering defense with a Spread offense. I mean why put up only 30 points when you can put up 50 and still hold the other team to 10 or less?

No, just no. I think it has been proven with the right defense, the spread can be shut down. See Oregon vs. LSU or A&M vs. LSU for quick reference. "Baylor has been a top 5 offense the last two years recruiting mostly 2-star athletes." and how has that worked out for them, even with RG3.

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John Maplethorpe

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Everyone will be running the spread within 7 years

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Used to be the Wing-T was the dominant philosophy.

Then it was the Veer.

Then it was the forward pass.

Then it was option football.

Then it was Pro Sets.

Then it was run-and-shoot.

Then it was Pro-Sets.

Now its Spread Formations.

Look, I hate to tell you this, but its not the "future" because spread formation football has been around since Sid Gilman. Leach & Mumme grafted the BYU short-crossing routes & passing-game concepts into what they were running at Ohio Weslyan & Valdosta State.

Urban Meyer learned a lot of his offense from that as well as Joe Tiller at Purdue when he was playing with Drew Brees at QB.

(and with Sumlin coaching the WR's, I might add)

This stuff is cyclical. While I agree that putting a defender in space and requiring him to play with discipline is a basic concept that can allow you to run all sorts of traditional staple plays and have success, the bottom line is that the teams at the top of the food-chain (The Alabama's, Georgia's, LSU's, Florida's, etc) will still recruit more size per roster than other teams beneath them.

The sheer number of players that have the requisite size to negate your splits on the line while playing with athleticism and discipline thakns to superior coaching & development will still overwhelm a team running these offensive concepts as a base.

Yes, I agree that there are notable examples of these concepts having success. But Alabama sees no need to change from its basic concepts. Neither does UGA. Neither does LSU (while playcalling is another story).

These teams will always possess the speed, size & athleticism to negate an inherent advantage the Spread principles provide (reducing discpline via repeatedly asking defenders to play with discipline in space).

Even still, guys like Troy Calhoun & Paul Johnson are running triple-option/flexbone offenses in a time where the forward pass is valued moreso than in any other time period or era of CFB.

So no, everyone will not be running Spread in 7 years. Besides, the splits of the OL aren't what make it produce. Its what you do AFTER you spread the defense out.

On its basic level, this is another way to give OC's, QB's, playcallers & offenses in general a method to force the defense into showing its intentions prior to the snap, which provides an advantage.